US2003088375A1PendingUtilityA1
Electronic battery tester with relative test output
Priority: Oct 17, 2001Filed: Oct 2, 2002Published: May 8, 2003
Est. expiryOct 17, 2021(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
G01R 31/385
35
PatentIndex Score
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Claims
Abstract
An electronic battery tester for testing a storage battery determines a condition of the battery. The condition is a relative condition and is a function of a dynamic parameter of the battery and an empirical input variable.
Claims
exact text as granted — not AI-modifiedWhat is claimed is:
1 . An electronic battery tester for testing a storage battery, comprising:
Kelvin connections configured to couple to terminals of the battery; measurement circuitry coupled to the Kelvin connections configured to measure a dynamic parameter of the battery and a voltage across terminals of the battery; an empirical variable input configured to receive an empirical input variable; computation circuitry configured to provide a relative battery test output as a function of the dynamic parameter and the empirical input variable, the relative test output indicative of a condition of the battery.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the measurement circuitry is further configured to measure a voltage across terminals of the battery and the relative test output is further a function of a voltage and is indicative of a time to charge the battery.
3 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the dynamic parameter is measured using a time varying signal.
4 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the empirical input variable comprises a result of a load test.
5 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the empirical input variable comprises a result of a bounce back load test.
6 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the empirical input variable comprises voltage measurements.
7 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the empirical input variable comprises state of charge measurements.
8 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the empirical input variable comprises a visual observation.
9 . The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the visual observation is related to corrosion of terminals of the battery.
10 . The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the visual observation is related to a cracked battery case.
11 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the empirical input variable is related to acceptance of charge by the battery from an alternator.
12 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the battery tester includes a charging source and the empirical input variable is indicative of charge acceptance by the battery from the source.
13 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the empirical input variable is related to operator behavior.
14 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the empirical input variable is indicative of vehicle age.
15 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the empirical input variable is indicative of vehicle condition.
16 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the empirical input variable is indicative of a change in a dynamic parameter of the battery.
17 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the empirical input variable is indicative of charge acceptance of the battery during charging.
18 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the empirical input variable is indicative of a previous test of the battery.
19 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the empirical input variable is indicative of battery weight.
20 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the empirical input variable is indicative of geographic information.
21 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the empirical input variable is related to time required to charge the battery.
22 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the empirical input variable is related to a time period during which the battery can power a particular load.
23 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the empirical input variable is indicative of a vehicle size or engine size that the battery can operate.
24 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the empirical input variable is related to the number of engine starts performed by the battery per day.
25 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the relative test output is indicative of a predicted end of life of the battery.
26 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the relative test output is indicative of a predicted number of engine starts of the vehicle which the battery can perform.
27 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the relative test output is indicative of a predicted number of charge and discharge cycles which the battery is capable of experiencing.
28 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the relative test output comprises a prediction of a time to reach an end voltage.
29 . The apparatus of claim 28 wherein the time to reach an end voltage is further a function of current draw and temperature.
30 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the relative test output comprises a predicted time to charge the battery based upon a charge current and a temperature.
31 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the relative test output comprises a prediction of a largest current at which a load test applied to the battery can be passed.
32 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the relative test output comprises a prediction of a reserve capacity of a battery.
33 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the relative test output comprises a prediction of a number of amp hours remaining in the battery.
34 . A method for testing a storage battery comprising:
coupling Kelvin connectors to positive and negative terminals of the battery; measuring a dynamic parameter of the battery using the Kelvin connectors; receiving an empirical input variable; determining a relative test output indicative of a condition of the battery based upon the dynamic parameter in the empirical input variable.
35 . The method of claim 34 including measuring a voltage across terminals of the battery and the relative test output is further a function of a voltage and is indicative of a time to charge the battery.
36 . The method of claim 34 including applying a time varying signal to the battery and wherein the dynamic parameter is measured using a time varying signal.
37 . The method of claim 34 wherein the empirical input variable comprises a result of a load test.
38 . The method of claim 34 wherein the empirical input variable comprises a result of a bounce back load test.
39 . The method of claim 34 wherein the empirical input variable will comprise voltage measurements.
40 . The method of claim 34 wherein the empirical input variable comprises state of charge measurements.
41 . The method of claim 34 wherein the empirical input variable comprises a visual observation.
42 . The method of claim 41 wherein the visual observation is related to corrosion of terminals of the battery.
43 . The method of claim 41 wherein the visual observation is related to a cracked battery case.
44 . The method of claim 34 wherein the empirical input variable is related to acceptance of charge by the battery from an alternator.
45 . The method of claim 34 including charging the battery and the empirical input variable is indicative of charge acceptance by the battery.
46 . The method of claim 34 wherein the empirical input variable is related to operator behavior.
47 . The method of claim 34 wherein the empirical input variable is indicative of vehicle age.
48 . The method of claim 34 wherein the empirical input variable is indicative of vehicle condition.
49 . The method of claim 34 wherein the empirical input variable is indicative of a change in a dynamic parameter of the battery.
50 . The method of claim 34 wherein the empirical input variable is indicative of charge acceptance of the battery during charging.
51 . The method of claim 34 wherein the empirical input variable is indicative of a previous test of the battery.
52 . The method of claim 34 wherein the empirical input variable is indicative of battery weight.
53 . The method of claim 34 wherein the empirical input variable is indicative of geographic information.
54 . The method of claim 34 wherein the empirical input variable is related to time required to charge the battery.
55 . The method of claim 34 wherein the empirical input variable is related to a time period during which the battery can power a particular load.
56 . The method of claim 34 wherein the empirical input variable is indicative of a vehicle size or engine size that the battery can operate.
57 . The method of claim 34 wherein the empirical input variable is related to the number of engine starts performed by the battery per day.
58 . The method of claim 34 wherein the relative test output is indicative of a predicted end of life of the battery.
59 . The method of claim 34 wherein the relative test output is indicative of a predicted number of engine starts of the vehicle which the battery can perform.
60 . The method of claim 34 wherein the relative test output is indicative of a predicted number of charge and discharge cycles which the battery is capable of experiencing.
61 . The method of claim 34 wherein the relative test output comprises a prediction of a time to reach an end voltage.
62 . The method of claim 61 wherein the time to reach an end voltage is further a function of current draw and temperature.
63 . The method of claim 34 wherein the relative test output comprises a predicted time to charge the battery based upon a charge current and a temperature.
64 . The method of claim 34 wherein the relative test output comprises a prediction of a largest current at which a load test applied to the battery can be passed.
65 . The method of claim 34 wherein the relative test output comprises a prediction of a reserve capacity of a battery.
66 . The method of claim 34 wherein the relative test output comprises a prediction of a number of amp hours remaining in the battery.
67 . An electronic battery tester implementing the method of claim 34.Join the waitlist — get patent alerts
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